Pneumonia
by theothergranger
Summary: Beca comes down with pneumonia during midterms and Chloe takes it upon herself to make her feel better. Lots of cuddling and "Rizzoli and Isles" watching ensues.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm currently working on another fic called "The Blessed Unrest," but felt the need to write something short and fluffy. You should definitely check out that Bechloe story, too!**

**EDIT: This WAS going to only be a few chapters, but I'm enjoying myself too much.**

**XXX**

It's the Thursday during the week of fall semester midterms. Tired of her studying, Chloe has decided to take a lap around the library, which thankfully stays open until two in the morning during exams for students who need to cram.

It's not that she's waited until the last minute to study, but on top of physician shadowing, volunteering at the hospital, her unofficial job at a local coffee shop, and co-captaining the Bellas, late at night seems to be the only time she has to devote entirely to her coursework. That, and Aubrey had been having an absolute meltdown over a tape of the Bellas' last performance when Chloe had stopped in at their apartment following her evening hospital shift. Acutely criticizing their a cappella group seemed to be how Aubrey chose to take a break from her own studying, and while Chloe loved her best friend dearly, the redhead wasn't sure her caffeine addled brain could handle hearing "The Sign" many more times before she snapped.

Chloe was admiring how eerily empty and silent the library was when one of the silent study rooms caught her attention. People frequently used the rooms, but not at night, when the atmosphere of the very large, very old building shifted from studious to spectral. When students came to study late at night, they usually chose to do so near the circulation desk, where they were at least in the presence of other people.

Obviously, being Chloe Beale and in need of some form of entertainment, she quickly crossed to the door, standing on the tips of her toes to look in through the small, glass window just above eye level.

She absolutely beamed when she saw who was making use of the study room. Quickly settling back to normal height, she straightened out her hair and rubbed at her tired eyes before opening to door.

Beca's head immediately snapped up from her laptop at the sudden movement in the room. Chloe couldn't help but notice how glazed and teary the other girl's eyes were.

"Hey Chlo," the brunette rasped, removing her headphones to hang them around her neck. "What are you doing here?" she questioned softly, before dissolving into a fit of loud, hacking coughs. Chloe winced, taking a seat across from the brunette.

"Didn't I tell you to get that cold checked out a few days ago?" Chloe asked, brow furrowing in concern at the younger girl. Beca waved a hand noncommittally and then all of a sudden buried her face in the crook of her arm, coughing with even more force than before. "Oh, Beca!" the redhead sighed, taking in her companion's look of utter exhaustion and flushed cheeks.

"I haven't had time!" the brunette replied defensively, gesturing to the piles of books and paper surrounding her laptop. "I had my philosophy exam this afternoon, then I came here to finish my paper, apparently my being sick was interfering with Kimmy Jin and her fucking study party. If I cough when she's trying to sleep she just keeps me up with her complaining," Beca growled, slumping forward to rest her chin on a pile of books. After a moment, she pulled herself upright to wrap her arms around herself, teeth chattering slightly. "Plus, I drank a ton of coffee so I could finish my last paper on time and now I'm done and I've just been sitting in here listening to music for two hours. I can't sleep because I'm like, dying, and every time I manage to drift off, I wake myself up coughing. I haven't slept all week." Beca complained, a hint of tearful frustration creeping into her tone. Chloe was almost overwhelmed by an urge to gather her upset, sickly friend into her arms, but resisted long enough to stand and begin piling Beca's things together. Beca shot her a confused, weary look.

"Look, you're done with your midterms and I'm done studying, so if Kimmy Jin is going to be a dick, you're going to come back and crash at my place," Chloe said forcefully, shoving the newly shut textbooks and notebooks into Beca's messenger bag. After a moment of skeptical contemplation, Beca shut her laptop and handed it to Chloe, who promptly added it to the bag. "If you can't sleep, we can keep watching _Rizzoli and Isles_!" Chloe tempted.

The two had begun watching the show a few weeks after Beca had started hanging out with Chloe outside of Bellas rehearsals, proclaiming it to be the only show that had the ability to hold her interest. Mostly it was just because the coroner, Maura, reminded her so much of Chloe. Beca found herself dumbly smiling in remembrance at the connection she had drawn almost immediately. She had a working theory that Chloe masked her own awkwardness through her bubbliness and constant tendency to invade personal space. There was no question that the budding medical professional who was Chloe Beale was insanely smart, either.

After allowing Beca to be lost in thought for a long, drawn out moment, Chloe circled around the table and pulled on her friend's arm. Blearily, Beca looked up at her, allowing herself to be helped to her feet. Chloe couldn't help but notice that the brunette was dressed in one of her own BU sweaters and while this made her smile, it was a clear sign of Beca not feeling well. For reasons Chloe could not comprehend, Beca refused to wear any sort of clothing supporting their school in public, citing that her reputation as a badass prohibited her from doing so.

"Alright, steady on, Mitchell!" Chloe laughed, gently directing the brunette towards the door. Beca acquiesced and exited the room, Chloe shutting off the lights behind them. Noticing how unsteady and unaware Beca seemed on her feet, Chloe slung the girl's bag over her own head and led them down the stairs, stopping briefly at the table she had been utilizing to gather up her minimal supplies.

"I can take my bag!" Beca insisted after a moment, seeming to realize she hadn't been carrying it. Chloe danced away from the freshman's grabbing hand, tucking her own notebook and textbooks under her arm. She tossed the lanyard with her keys over Beca's head.

"You can carry my keys," she laughed, gently swatting away Beca's hand as she made another move for her bag. "Don't even think about it, you're out of breath from walking down the stairs," Chloe admonished. _She probably has pneumonia_, the pre-med student thought to herself, shaking her head when Beca began to cough pathetically once more. "Think you can make it to my apartment? I can grab my car if you want-"

"I can make it three blocks, Chlo, I'm not dead yet." Beca interrupted with a grumble, following Chloe once again as the redhead made to exit the library.

Once they were outside, Beca shivered slightly in the warm night air, bringing on a coughing fit, which caused Chloe to round on her. The redhead held the back of her free hand to Beca's forehead, scrutinizing the freshman intensely. The brunette was burning up, which explained how spaced-out she had been acting earlier. After a moment, she gestured for them to continue. She really just wanted to get Beca into a bed.

Chloe sighed and threw an arm over her friend's shoulders as they began to walk, somewhat surprised when the brunette gratefully snuggled against her shoulder.

"You really don't feel well, huh?" Chloe asked softly, earning a shake of the head from Beca.

"Not at all, patch me up, doc!" she jested weakly, her voice barely audible.

When they finally made it to the apartment Chloe shared with Aubrey, having been forced to stop so Beca could make an attempt at hacking up her lungs several times along the way, the redhead quietly let them in.

Beca's teeth were now chattering loudly, though the sheen of sweat Chloe could barely see in the dim light of the foyer told her that Beca wasn't actually cold. The pair entered the kitchen, where Chloe deposited her books and Beca's messenger bag. Beca, on the other hand, clambered into a bar stool, breathing more heavily than she ever would on a normal day from the short walk.

"Are you allergic to any medications?" Chloe asked after a moment, earning a quizzical and confused look from Beca, who eventually shook her head. Chloe beamed and clapped her hands together, turning to the cupboard where she and Aubrey kept first aid supplies. "I won't tell if you won't," Chloe winked, beginning to measure out a liquid medicine. "I had bronchitis at the start of the year, there just happens to be a little codeine cough syrup left." She said conspiratorially to Beca, who raised an eyebrow in amusement, but took the offered remedy nonetheless.

Beca fully intended to make some joke about Chloe poisoning her, but was completely at a loss, for once, for something witty to say. Instead, she gazed unblinkingly at the redhead, thinking how pretty Chloe looked, even with her hair piled messily into a bun and wicked bags under her eyes. She knew how hard the girl worked and just how thin she stretched herself. Although she would probably never admit, except under extreme duress, it made Beca feel all warm and fuzzy that Chloe had decided to spend time with her, rather than engage in something more worthy of her attention.

She hadn't even noticed Chloe was back at her side until the redhead gently grabbed her by the chin, turning Beca to face her. Beca's eyes grew wide as one thought crossed her mind: _What the hell?!_

"Can I take your temperature?" Chloe queried gently, inspecting Beca's face with great care. The brunette swallowed thickly and accepted the thermometer, placing it obediently under her own tongue, as she felt a more intense blush creep across her already flushed face.

While the thermometer beeped away ominously, Chloe busied herself in the kitchen, rummaging around for cough drops, ibuprofen, and water, which she produced just as the thermometer signaled its readiness to be read.

Hurrying back over to the brunette, Chloe motioned for her to relinquish the thermometer, which Beca did without hesitation. The result on the screen caused Chloe pout profusely and haul Beca down from the chair, pointing the girl in the direction of her bedroom. Beca began down the hall, looking thoroughly lost, although she'd been to Chloe's room countless times. The redhead hurried after her, supplies in hand, and arrived in time to find Beca doubled over on the edge of her bed, once again coughing harshly. Chloe offered her a bottle of water once it seemed to have subsided and Beca accepted with a slight whimper, causing Chloe to frown.

"I think doctors are supposed to have a better poker face," Beca teased, catching the expression on the redhead's face. She coughed in place of laughing and ran a hand through her hair, deciding to keep the jokes to a minimum for now. Her hair was sticking irritatingly to her face and it occurred to her how hot she had become since making it indoors. "I'm super hot, any chance I could get some clothes?" she wondered, gesturing to her sweater and jeans. Chloe brightened and nodded, returning a moment later with pajama pants and a loose fitting tank top, which she tossed at the younger girl.

"So, _Rizzoli and Isles_ or sleep?" Chloe inquired as she returned to her dresser to find a different for herself. She hastily began changing, keeping her back to the brunette. While she would normally have jumped at the chance to incur awkwardness upon her friend by stripping down boldly in front of her, Chloe decided to take pity for the evening.

"Option A, for sure," Beca said softly from behind her. "Wow, look at you, showing some common courtesy." The brunette remarked when Chloe eventually turned around, earning a poke in the side from Chloe once the redhead made her way back to her bed. Beca couldn't say she minded the senior's lack of boundaries.

"Lay down and behave, Mitchell, if you die from pneumonia I'll have to find another pain in the ass to replace you." Chloe retorted, pushing lightly on Beca's shoulders. She wasn't entirely surprised when the brunette resigned herself to her fate and allowed herself to be knocked onto the bed, slowly dragging herself up to the enormous pile of pillows that Chloe had at the top of the bed. Chloe rounded the edge of her bed, holding out two pills of ibuprofen for Beca, who took them with the water that was handed to her by the redhead shortly after.

"Pneumonia, huh?" Beca asked, watching as Chloe moved around the room, turning off lights and readying her laptop to watch their show. In the dim light of Chloe's laptop screen, she saw the redhead shrug. Though Chloe technically didn't have much to go on, Beca didn't doubt her diagnosis in the slightest. Chloe placed the laptop in front of Beca, the familiar opening music of the cop drama beginning to play.

Beca sighed happily, feeling somewhat peaceful for the first time all week, when Chloe slid into the bed behind her, wrapping an arm around Beca's waist.

Beca would never admit to being a cuddler, but something about Chloe made her crave the contact. The brunette instantly felt better once in Chloe's arms, though she could have done without her heart hammering in her chest like it was.

She sighed again, the combined effects of the soothing cough syrup and Chloe's warm, joyous presence making her feel absolutely giddy. And a million times less sickly.

"Chloe's going to be such a kickass doctor." She muttered, totally unsure if she'd actually spoken out loud. When she felt Chloe press a quick, gracious kiss to her temple, she realized the redhead had heard her.

"Aw, thank you, Becs." Chloe replied, genuinely flattered by the compliment, even if it sounded completely delirious. Beca merely hummed in affirmation of her comment, wiggling her body back against Chloe's, who obliged the signal to hold the brunette tighter.

A small giggle escaped from Beca when the redheaded coroner appeared on the screen for the first time in the episode, though she felt no need to explain. Chloe still had no idea about the parallel she'd drawn.

Rather than question Beca about the laugh, Chloe merely drew the thin top sheet up around their legs to ward off the chill.

Greatly comforted by the gesture, Beca reached for Chloe's hand that was draped across her stomach, tentatively lacing her fingers through the redhead's. When Chloe made no move to withdraw her hand, Beca grinned stupidly, then turned her attention back to what was happening on the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read and review! I love hearing what you guys have to say (:**

**More to come on my other Bechloe story as well!**

Chloe was very surprised when Beca managed to make it through three entire episodes before the expected drowsiness from the medicine began to kick in.

Thankfully, the coughing had subsided to a lesser intensity and volume, but Beca had spent the duration of her time in Chloe's bed alternating between very cold and very hot. One moment found Beca huddled against the redhead, shivering pathetically, and the next had the irritable freshman kicking the sheets off of her legs snarling in frustration.

Chloe gladly indulged Beca's feverish whims, finding herself feeling worse and worse for the ailing girl by the minute. Every time Beca's teeth began to chatter, Chloe would pull her tightly against her, nuzzling against the brunette's shoulder in attempts to generate a little more heat. When Beca grew too hot, breaking out into another bout of cold sweat, Chloe would gently relinquish her hold, instead absentmindedly tracing circles along the ridge of Beca's exposed hip.

The first time Chloe had begun to do this, Beca had nearly jumped out of her skin, though she'd disguised her shock as a particularly violent cough. She had been attempting to covertly inch the shirt upwards to alleviate some of the heat she was throwing off and been totally unaware Chloe had noticed, though the brunette couldn't say she was surprised. Chloe was delightfully in tune with Beca. The senior's astutely observational nature had afforded her an alarming amount of insight into the exceptionally closed off younger girl, which went greatly appreciated by the brunette in her current time of need.

Throughout the three hours of watching their "show," Beca's mind had slowly grown to be overcome by a sort of dull roaring, resulting from the mixture of her fever, high dose of medication, and unmistakable delight at Chloe's unwavering proximity. The freshman, having been actually drunk from alcohol countless times in her young life, found herself feeling something akin to extreme intoxication. While Beca was usually a well behaved, quiet observer of movies and television, she found silly comments and wayward giggles slipping out of her mouth before she could catch them, which brought Chloe unfettered amusement.

Eventually, Beca could no longer settle for throwing out random remarks.

The brunette's breaking point came while Maura Isles lamented the dietary woes of her pet, Bass, on screen.

"Chlo! You should get a turtle like Bass," Beca suddenly exclaimed, whipping around to face her friend so quickly that the action sufficiently startled the older girl. The brunette quickly stole the other half of Chloe's pillow, regarding her friend carefully. "I can totally picture you with a turtle like that. Why don't you have one?" Beca pondered after a moment, squinting her eyes in suspicion at the redhead. The younger girl's sudden and strange distrust in the fact that Chloe did not possess a shell-dwelling creature made the girl in question giggle profusely.

"Well first of all, Becs, it's a tortoise." Chloe began, causing Beca to snort in amusement.

"Alright, Maura." Beca smirked, raising an eyebrow at her companion. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"They're totally different animals, you know," Chloe said, allowing herself to be patronizing as she ignored Beca's remark. "First of all, turtles live in water, and their shells are flat. Bass is a tortoise and lives on land, he's got that huge, dome shaped shell, which is actually really heavy, so he couldn't live in water if he tried because he'd sink," Chloe expatriated. Beca had pressed a hand to her mouth, snickering softly behind it. "Tortoises can live to be two hundred years old though, so I'd never have to be worried about being sad when my pet died." Chloe added, biting her lip as contemplated the death of an imaginary pet. Her hamster had died when she was five and she had never allowed her parents to get her another pet, the loss of life of a companion weighing too heavily on her empathetic nature.

Finally, Beca could not longer contain her amusement, her loud snort of laughter jerking Chloe away from her thoughts. The redhead narrowed her eyes in mock irritation at Beca, who had buried her face in the blankets and was now alternating between peals of laughter and coughing. The laughter subsided after a moment, only to be replaced entirely by loud, violent coughing, giving Chloe cause to frown. The senior ran a tender hand over Beca's head, noticing how fevered and sweaty the girl still was. Calmed by the gesture, once she was finished coughing, Beca tentatively raised her head to meet Chloe's concerned gaze, the brunette's eyes shining with tears.

Tears of mirth, it turned out, as Beca giggled lowly, hoping to avoid another coughing fit.

"I'm only laughing because I only like this show so much because you're like my real-life Maura." Beca blurted, blushing and hiding her face in the blanket once again.

"Oh?" Chloe questioned, gently lifting the blanket so she could at least see Beca's eyes. The shyness of the brunette was adorable; she typically had no problem speaking her mind.

"You're going to be a doctor, you're super smart, you're gorgeous, and you're a ginger." Beca explained, it was her turn to be patronizing. Her explanation of Chloe's likeness to Maura Isles was extremely thought out, and very obvious.

"Maura works on dead people," Chloe retorted, scrunching up her nose. This made Beca giggle and she withdrew from the cocoon of blankets. Chloe contemplated her reply for a second and then focused on Beca's comment about her physical appearance. She gripped the blanket so the brunette could not disappear again before speaking. "Also, did you just call me gorgeous, Mitchell?"

Beca's face flushed a deep red, but she didn't break her eye contact with Chloe. Eventually, she shrugged.

"I'm not blind." Beca finally managed, at which Chloe beamed. Noticing how flattered the redhead appeared, the freshman breached the short distance between them and hid her face, choosing to nestle against Chloe's neck in order to so.

"That's the nicest backwards compliment I've ever received." Chloe laughed, trying to keep her tone in check as Beca innocently nuzzled against her neck.

She couldn't deny her intense attraction to the brunette, but she didn't exactly feel at peace that Beca was expressing such affection under the influence of narcotics and general fever- induced deliriousness.

Chloe swallowed thickly, redirecting her attention towards the television show currently being streamed on her laptop. Beca remained motionless for twenty or so minutes, face serenely buried against Chloe, seemingly asleep. The freshman had an arm slung around Chloe's waist as well, which the redhead attempted to ignore.

Eventually, Chloe began to feel tired herself. Just as she contemplated closing the lid of her computer, Beca stirred.

Another wave of sickly heat had come over the brunette, who muttered feverishly against Chloe, her breath ghosting over the redhead's collarbone. The senior shifted, feeling discomforted by close human contact for the first time in her entire life. Beca was never this touchy when she was awake, but seemed to direct a concentrated amount of affection towards Chloe any time she stayed the night.

"I'm too hot…" Beca whispered as Chloe reached across the brunette to turn off her computer. Despite her claim, the freshman clung insistently to Chloe, who smoothed a hand over Beca's head. The attention calmed Beca for a moment, only to have her jerk away a few seconds later.

Chloe allowed Beca to roll away, the brunette murmuring incoherently.

Chloe's pale blue eyes grew wide as Beca began to yank off her borrowed pajama pants, impatiently kicking until she had freed herself from them. Immediately, Chloe felt terrified. While making others uncomfortable was a favorite game of hers, she was unused to being subjected to the same attention. Besides, healthy, conscious Beca was extremely unlikely to rip off her pants in front of anyone, even if the brunette did enjoy cuddling with the subjected party.

The pajamas thrown to the ground, Beca returned her attention to Chloe, eyes focused blearily on the redhead.

"Sorry." Beca decried, snaking her arm back around Chloe's waist to return to the position she had been in prior to her stripping down. Failing to receive a negative reaction from Chloe, the freshman promptly snuggled back against her. Beca's hair tickled against Chloe's chin.

"It's alright, are you comfy?" Chloe wondered, finding her voice after a moment. Beca hummed her approval, the noise of consent buzzing across Chloe's collarbone. "You're unusually cuddly tonight." Chloe observed, nervous laughter edging her voice. At first, Beca's only response was to nod as she entwined her legs with the redhead's, seeking out closer contact for comfort.

"You're really pretty and I like you, so yeah, I'm cuddly." Beca stated raspily, the earlier coughing taking a toll on her voice. Chloe felt as if someone had managed to hit her directly in the chest with a bolt of electricity, freezing against the brunette. A few beats passed as she waited for Beca to retract her statement, but the brunette did not seem intent upon elaborating.

"What was that?" Chloe hissed after a moment, doing her best to look down so she could observe Beca's reaction. In return, she was greeted with a wrinkled brow and a shrug.

"Huh?" Beca croaked, pulling back just enough to catch Chloe's gaze. The redhead's eyes were misty, giving Beca cause for concern. "What?" she groaned, the confusion in Chloe's eyes making her far too anxious to go unaddressed.

"You just…" Chloe began, trailing off as Beca's scowl intensified. "I think you said you like me." She finished bravely, causing Beca's eyebrows to shoot up to her hairline.

Beca wondered for a moment if Chloe had gone deaf, that was exactly what she had said. She shook her head at the redhead's reaction, marveling that she had moments ago called the senior 'super smart.'

Chloe waited patiently for Beca to respond verbally. All the brunette had done was giggle dazedly and resume her position of hiding her face from view against Chloe's neck. When the freshman didn't continue, Chloe realized she'd fallen asleep. The redhead felt her heart sink. That had been her perfect 'in' to telling Beca about her true feelings.

Chloe couldn't feel too let down, though, as Beca laid peacefully wrapped in her arms, snoring lightly, no sign of coughing on the horizon.

It was something.


	3. Chapter 3

Aubrey was woken up, fifteen minutes after _finally_ forcing her Adderall fueled body into sleep, to the sound of someone whispering her name. After feeling a poke in her side, her eyes immediately snapped wide open and she looked around for the offending party.

"Chlo, _come on_," she groaned, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes. The redhead was perched on the side of her bed, coffee in hand. When she realized Chloe looked like she had been crying, she sat up from her pillows slightly, appraising the tired, yet panicked state of her best friend. "What's wrong?" she asked with a frown. The redhead looked near tears as she handed Aubrey a cup of coffee, which was graciously accepted by the blonde, who leaned back on her elbows in order to drink it without spilling. She had only planned to nap for half an hour, anyway. Midterms were _killing_ her.

"Alright, so this is so completely stupid, but I'm exhausted and emotional and stressed," Chloe huffed, taking a large gulp from her own mug. Aubrey could tell from the manic edge to Chloe's voice that this wasn't her first cup of coffee, that she probably hadn't slept very much, and that she was legitimately upset about something. The redhead took a deep breath before launching into a rant, keeping her voice barely above a whisper the entire time. "So, I know you said I need to talk to Beca about liking her, but she's really sick with pneumonia so I made her come over last night. I gave her some codeine cough syrup and she was all loopy and feverish and ended up taking off her pants and getting really cuddly with me, and then she told me she likes me," Chloe stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts. "She totally doesn't realize what she said, though, because when I asked her to repeat herself she just fell asleep!" Chloe added, exasperation notching up the volume of her rambling. "It's not like she doesn't have a toner for Jesse, anyway!" the redhead cried, catching herself and dropping back down to a whisper when she realized how loud she was being. "So now I just feel weird and creepy and this is just totally hopeless. I seriously sat awake almost all night."

Aubrey shook her head at Chloe's obliviousness. The best friends had been having basically the same conversation ever since Beca had joined the Bellas, but Chloe remained uncharacteristically skittish about finding out where the two stood in terms of their feelings for one another.

"Alright, well so much is _wrong_ about what you just said," Aubrey sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She sat up fully, scooting over so the overly-giddy Chloe could sit slightly less precariously. "First of all, why wasn't Beca wearing pants?" she asked in exasperation, wrinkling her nose at the redhead.

"She was hot and she just kind of took them of when she was half asleep." Chloe shrugged. Aubrey sighed once more.

"You're probably the only person I know that could try to rationalize cuddling with a half naked girl as something that normal friends do," Aubrey accused, laughing slightly. "On a scale of me to you, how cuddly would you say Beca was being last night?"

This question caused Chloe to grin. While she had forced Aubrey into cuddling with her more times than could ever be counted, the blonde usually just passively allowed it to happen. Aubrey had no problem indulging her best friend and it was quite normal for their friendship, but she was still nowhere near as affectionate as the redhead.

"She was definitely coming in at a Chloe Beale on that scale," the redhead laughed dryly. "But, for serious Aubrey, I think her and Jesse-"

"Alright, Chlo," the blonde cut in, her tone biting. "I love you to death, but you're driving me crazy with this. Grow a pair and fucking tell her, okay?" Chloe looked affronted. Sure, Aubrey was direct, but her exasperation surprised the redhead. Aubrey softened her tone, continuing in a more joking manner. "Look, if I'm wrong and you make an ass of yourself, I will pay for you to move to another state."

Chloe dramatically groaned and ran a hand through her horrifically tousled hair. She was exhausted and she looked like hell. Aubrey gave her a sympathetic look. Both girls had chosen rigorous majors and their senior schoolwork load on top of their other obligations, including their co-captainship of the Bella's, had left them looking a little worse for wear.

"Sorry for the dramatics, Bree," the redhead muttered after a moment. "I feel like I'm living off of Adderall, coffee, and hour long naps, at this point." Chloe joked wryly, earning a barking laugh from the blonde.

"Yeah, that and the tears of all the people I've verbally abused in the past two weeks." Aubrey agreed, warranting a light punch on the arm from Chloe.

"Do you know how hard I work trying to convince people you're actually nice, Bree?" she joked leaning her head against her friends shoulder. The blonde shrugged in response, taking a sip of coffee instead. A few peaceful moments passed, both girls willing their brains into action, before Chloe jumped away from Aubrey and off the bed. "Fuck! I promised I'd help Edna at the coffee shop before my 11 a.m. exam," She groaned, looking at Aubrey's alarm clock, which read 7:05 a.m. Chloe promptly bounded from the room and Aubrey leaned back against her pillows, picking up a notebook that she'd filled with the answers to one of her study guides. She perused the information, which she definitely knew, but one could never be too sure, until Chloe flew back into the room. She had managed to tame her mane, pulling it into a sloppy bun, and had donned a v-neck shirt and shorts, an unusually lazy outfit for the fashion forward ginger. She still looked frantic, though.

"Bree, since your exam isn't until three can you do me a favor?" she asked sweetly, Aubrey looked up at her skeptically. "Beca is still here, but she's super sick. If she gets up before I come back, tell her I _insist_ that she stays." Chloe said, winking at the blonde.

"Uh, I'm not going to wink at her," Aubrey snarked, looking disgusted. "But yeah, I'll trap the hobbit here until you come back… on one condition," she mused, pausing for dramatic effect. Chloe raised an eyebrow at Aubrey's wicked expression. "The next time you see her, you have to promise to put an end to your misery and talk to her about your feelings."

"Bree-" Chloe squealed, ready to argue. Aubrey silenced her with a wave of the hand.

"Then I'll turn her out on the streets, where she'll inevitably die from her pneumonia." Aubrey exaggerated, an affected coolness to her voice. Chloe stomped her foot in irritation, but smiled shortly after.

"Well, I hope your exam goes aca-awesome!" she pronounced, shutting the door to the apartment just after hearing Aubrey respond with a "you too!"

**XXX**

Beca groaned as she woke up coughing for the umpteenth time. Except now, daylight was peeking through the crack between Chloe's strategically black curtains. The brunette groaned and reached for the bottle of water Chloe had given her last night, taking a few big gulps to alleviate the aching in her throat, before flopping back down onto the large, queen size bed. She rolled back towards Chloe, seeking out the comfort she offered- but Chloe was no longer there. She felt a pang in her chest as her night spent wit Chloe flooded back.

She'd _finally_ told Chloe she liked her, falling shortly asleep afterwards, but Chloe had seemed so shocked. Displeased, even, and now she was gone. She bit her lip to suppress the urge to cry. It was just after eight in the morning, she still felt like shit, and Chloe had basically rejected her. Now, she just wanted to get the hell out of the redhead's apartment so she could go wallow in her sickness and misery in her own dorm. Unwillingly, a few tears escaped. Being sick always made her overly emotional, and the sting of rejection was getting to her. She petulantly dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, sniffling pitifully. Sighing in irritation at herself, she crossed the room to Chloe's bathroom and splashed some water on her face, wiping away smudged makeup and attempting to alleviate the redness around her eyes from crying.

She hurriedly gathered her clothes, exchanging the pajamas for her jeans. She didn't change out of the borrowed tank top, though. She still felt achingly hot, and the walk back to the dorm, even in the cool fall weather, was sure to be unpleasant.

She made it to the kitchen, the BU sweater she'd stolen from Chloe weeks ago tucked under her arm, and was reaching to pick her bag up from the counter when a hand shot over her shoulder to stop her. Beca yelped and retracted her hand quickly, wheeling around to face an especially insane looking Aubrey.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Aubrey barked, not relinquishing her hold on Beca's messenger bag. Beca stammered for a moment, not entirely over Aubrey startling her so sufficiently. "You like hell, Mitchell, so go back to bed until Chloe gets here." She demanded, causing Beca to scowl.

"I was going back to my dorm, I kind of don't want to see Chloe right now." Beca grumbled, attempting to take possession of her bag. She clamped down on her bottom lip again as the urge to cry threatened once more at the thought of Chloe's displeasure with her.

"Aca-scuse me? I'm under orders from Chloe to not let you go anywhere, Typhoid Mary," Aubrey snarled, looking extremely offended. Her voice softened imperceptibly when she noticed the glossiness of Beca's eyes. "Why don't you want to see her?"

"That's none of your business." Beca mumbled, her voice as audible as Lily's on any given day.

"That's most _definitely _my business, since you seem to have suddenly developed some sort of issue with my best friend, Mitchell." Aubrey growled, pulling the bag further away from Beca. The brunette struggled for a moment with what to say, taking Aubrey by surprise when she finally burst.

"I told her I like her! And she ignored me!" Beca belted, her voice hoarse from days worth of being sick. "So now, I want to back to my dorm because I'm fucking mortified, alright? Just let me leave!" she whimpered.

"I'll cut you a deal, Mitchell," Aubrey said after a minute, her voice sinister and devious. "You can leave and go back to Baker Hall on one condition…" Beca threw up her hands in exasperation as Aubrey paused. "You have to let me walk you to Edna's Café first."

"What the fuck ever." Beca seethed as an agreement, snatching her bag away from Aubrey when the blonde offered it to her, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

**XXX**

The walk to the coffee shop was a quiet one, where Beca spent most of her time glaring at the back of Aubrey's head. The blonde did not seem inclined to converse very much either, so when the destination was reached, Beca was very surprised when the other girl abruptly turned and grabbed firmly by the tops of the arms.

"Aubrey, come on, dude. I just want to go home so I can die from embarrassment in peace." Beca moaned, trying to pull away from the older girl.

"There's some serious miscommunication going on right now, and it needs to be cleared up, okay? Everyone will be happier once this is taken care of." Aubrey asserted, a manic glint in her eye.

Beca was about to ask what the hell she was talking about when Aubrey dragged her indoors by the hand. From behind the counter, an older woman waved enthusiastically.

"Chloe's in the back, dear!" the woman said to Aubrey, beaming at the blonde. "And who's this?" she asked, gesturing to Beca.

"Actually, she's the one looking for Chlo!" Aubrey replied happily, shoving Beca forward. "I'll see you around, though, Edna!"

Beca was jerked out of her initial shock when the door slammed shut behind Aubrey. That bitch.

"Well, come on this way, dear! She's organizing the stock room." Edna chirped, gesturing for Beca to walk around the counter. .

God damn it.


	4. Chapter 4

Edna happily bustled along as she led Beca to the backroom, the young brunette woman contemplating her chances of making a successful getaway as she followed. Aubrey was probably waiting for her outside with a tranquilizer gun, prepared for the chance that Beca might disobey her orders. The notion was very tempting and just as Beca had made up her mind to make a break for it, the adorable, grey haired woman opened the swinging door to the back room. From inside, Beca heard a dull thud, then a muffled utterance of some very colorful swear words. She raised an eyebrow at Edna, who merely shrugged and waved a noncommittal hand.

"I've never seen Chloe in a mood like this," Edna murmured just before Beca crossed through the threshold. The elderly woman caught Beca's arm in a tight grip and the younger woman's eyes doubled in size. Clearly, the old lady was insane. "And I've got half a mind to think it has something to do with you, Beca," She accused, glaring aggressively at the freshman. Beca raised an eyebrow in question. How did the old lady know her name? "Oh, she talks about you all the time, then today she comes in looking like she could kill a man. An hour later Aubrey drags you in?" Edna caught her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded slowly at Beca, eyes narrowed skeptically.

"I… wow, uh, she talks about me? Why?" Beca whispered, a painful feeling settling in her chest. Maybe Chloe liked her. Or, maybe she was really that annoying, she'd over been talked about in length by people who found her to be too bitchy. Edna put her hands on her hips.

"No more idle chit chat, get a move on!" Edna implored, irritatingly not even pretending to consider answering Beca's question. The small brunette found herself shoved unceremoniously into the storeroom, the door swinging shut quietly behind her.

Initially, Beca didn't see Chloe, but was quickly able to surmise her approximate location when a heavy-looking box came flying into view and landed next to a set of shelves. Taking a breath, intentionally making it shallow to ward off coughing and reprimands from Chloe, she stepped around the corner and into sight. The redhead was in rare form, looking very sweaty and more pissed off than Beca had ever seen her. She had a pair of headphones in and was angrily mouthing along with whatever song was playing, though sometimes she slipped up and accidentally sang, this happening more and more frequently as the song progressed. Beca figured she was trying to adhere to the strict vocal rest she'd been placed on, though knew the redhead's love of singing made it hard to follow the rules _all_ the time. Beca was half smiling as she watched Chloe move boxes, ignoring a tickle in the back of her throat, when the redhead finally noticed she wasn't alone. Chloe jumped and dropped the box of cups she was carrying, causing Beca to burst into a fit of laughter and coughing. The senior ripped out her headphones and pointed an accusatory finger in Beca's direction.

"How long have you been standing there!" she demanded, eyes dilated in surprise.

"Long enough to hear you jamming the fuck out to Paramore." Beca smirked, having slightly recovered from her coughing fit. She was surprised to not be greeted with a smile or laugh, Chloe merely scowled in her direction and bent down to pick up the box she'd catapulted, not speaking to Beca until she'd safely deposited the item on a set of shelves.

"So, what's up?" the redhead asked warily, crossing the room again to begin lugging a bag of what Beca assumed were coffee beans. Seeing how tired and hot Chloe already looked, and how heavy the bag was, Beca started forward to offer a hand, though she found herself scolded immediately. "You're sick and I distinctly remember telling Aubrey that you were supposed to stay in bed." Chloe said, annoyance cut her tone and sounded displaced in her typically happy, musical voice. Not one to be outdone in snark, Beca wrinkled her nose at the remark.

"Because I'm so well known for following Aubrey's orders." Beca replied. Chloe rolled her eyes. That wasn't a good sign, the redhead usually found her to be decently funny. "Are you okay?" Beca finally asked hesitantly. Chloe huffed loudly as she dropped the heavy bag onto a slowly growing pile of similar ones.

All morning she had been trying to rationalize what Beca had said to her the night before. After saying she liked her, Beca had immediately been so unfazed. She hadn't bothered to repeat herself and had ignored Chloe's question. She had fallen immediately asleep. And this hurt Chloe's feelings more than she could put into words. She liked Beca _so _much. Aubrey was adamant that two were meant to be, but Chloe felt this was unlikely and had become more and more convinced of her own correctness as the morning had dragged on. And now Beca was here, acting completely clueless and quickly becoming visibly irritated. Typical.

Why was Chloe being so _weird?_

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Chloe breezed, her tone light this time as she aggressively yanked another bag into her grasp. Beca's face contorted in confusion as the redhead's actions betrayed her emotions.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking," Beca replied shortly. Man, she was _so_ bad at talking to people. "You're just acting… very 'not Chloe.'" The redhead tossed the bag down, rounding on the brunette with blazing eyes. A muscle in her jaw twitched as she contemplated what to say.

"I don't have to be happy all the time, Beca. I'm allowed to be pissed off too, you know." Chloe snapped. Beca looked immediately stung, raising her hands defensively and shaking her head. Chloe expected her to reply just as harshly, Beca wasn't one to back down, but instead she directed a hurt gaze in Chloe's direction.

"I'm sorry, you're right," the freshman mumbled, her voice weak as she worked to stifle a cough. Beca was surprised at how Chloe's remark made her feeling dangerously close to crying, but upsetting the redhead was something she'd never wanted to do. Her mind flashed to Aubrey- why hadn't she just let her go back to her stupid dorm? She was sick, she'd made a total ass of herself the night before, and _now_ Chloe was mad at her. "I'll see you at rehearsal." She added lamely, turning and walking towards the door to the back room.

Chloe bit down harshly on her lip. Beca looked so sad. Maybe Aubrey was right; all she had to do was act like her typical, overly outgoing self and just-

"Chloe."

Beca had stopped walking, though she didn't face the redhead as she called her name. The redhead sighed. Beca sounded like she might cry and the display of vulnerability was particularly gut wrenching. The brunette slowly turned around and met Chloe's eyes, both girls looked terrified.

"Chloe," Beca said again, taking a step in the redhead's direction. "I know I told you I like you last night," the brunette started, her eyes glassy. "And I know you're mad at me because I fucked up and overstepped boundaries or whatever, but _please_ don't stop being my friend because I said something stupid. I'm _so_ sorry. You're my best friend, just forget I said anything, okay?" Beca whimpered. The redhead's hand had crept up to cover her mouth, which had dropped open in shock. Beca searched Chloe's face for a reaction, completely not expecting the manic giggle that burst forth from the older girl's lips. The brunette felt her face flame red and tears that had been threatening for several minutes began to trickle down her face. Chloe's jaw dropped again, an appalled expression settling across her features.

Beca felt like screaming as she abruptly turned to leave. She had made it almost all the way to the door when a hand closed around her wrist. Chloe yanked Beca towards her and crushed her in a tight hug, sniffling in order to keep _herself_ from crying. She _hated_ to see people she cared about cry; she was far too empathetic. The freshman protested weakly against Chloe's shoulder until the redhead held her back at arm's length, looking confused.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Beca muttered. Chloe giggled again, reaching to wipe away the tears marring the brunette's face.

"Oh, I'm not laughing at _you_, Becs!" the redhead protested, shaking her head emphatically. "It's me! I thought you didn't know what you said to me last night because of the cough medicine. I really, really like you and I thought you were just going to brush it off. That's why I was so upset when you got here."

"You like me too?" Beca asked weakly. This was seemingly the only that had registered. Chloe beamed at the hopeful expression on the other girl's face and nodded once more.

"I do, I _really_ do." Chloe confirmed. Beca immediately burst into tears. Okay, she was sobbing. Like, shoulder wracking sobs. A very startled Chloe immediately pulled her back in for a hug, using one hand to cradle Beca's head she attempted to be soothing by stroking her hair. "Oh my god, are you alright?" the redhead breathed, eyes wide.

"Y-y-yes," Beca choked, pulling back to rub her hands over her eyes vigorously. She took a calming breath and shook her head. "I am _so_ sorry," she said once she was collected, looking up to meet concerned, very blue eyes. "When I'm sick I turn into a total pussy. Oh my god." Beca sighed, taking another deep breath as if she herself couldn't understand why she'd just started crying so profusely. Chloe gave her that strange, knowing smile that the brunette was constantly on the receiving end of.

"It's okay!" Chloe squealed, squashing her in yet another hug. "It was adorable." She affirmed. That wasn't what Beca had been expecting. Actually, it definitely was.

"Ew, get off me!" the brunette joked, throwing her arms around Chloe's neck and sighing happily. The two stood in silence for a moment before Chloe pulled away again.

"I have to go to my exam soon, promise you'll go back to my apartment and sleep until I'm back? You're still sick." Chloe pleaded, knowing the chances of Beca refusing were slim to none. Beca smirked.

"Yeah, of course. Or maybe Aubrey and I can braid each other's hair and talk about killing puppies or whatever it is she's into." Beca mused, holding her hand out for the key that Chloe was now handing to her.

"Oh, shut up," the redhead groaned, ruffling Beca's hair and earning a noise of indignation from the smaller girl. "We'll talk when I get home?"

"Talk?" Beca blanched, eyes widening. "Didn't we just talk?"

"About our first date, Becs!" Chloe reprimanded. The brunette broke into a wide grin and nodded eagerly.

"Oh, okay!" the freshman replied with relief. She stood for a moment, smiling dumbly at Chloe until the redhead waved a hand in front of Beca's face.

"Becs, _go_. Please sleep."

With a smirk and cavalier salute, Beca backed through the door and into the main area of the shop. Seated at the counter was Aubrey, who raised a cup of coffee in Beca's direction and nodded. Edna was nodding approvingly from the cash register.

"I'm not _into_ killing puppies, Beca." The blonde said sternly, though her own smirk gave away her delight. Beca rolled her eyes and waved the keys she had just been given by Chloe where Aubrey could see them.

"If you make any more comments about what you may or may not have heard, I'll go roll around in your bed and spread my sickness." Beca warned, earning her the finger from the usually poised blonde.

Shaking her head and laughing, Beca made her way out of the shop and back towards Chloe's bed.

Inside, Edna raised her own cup of coffee to Aubrey.

"I think I owe you five dollars, Ms. Posen." She teased. Aubrey had kept her up to date on Chloe's debacle of a courtship with Beca since the beginning, saying, surprisingly, that if any progress was ever made between the two it would be at the brunette's behest.

"Well, thank you, Ms. Edna, I believe you do." The blonde replied, smugly accepting the bill.


End file.
